Thursday, December 13, 2018

For the second year in a row, the Knoxville Opera is performing a holiday concert at Knox Area Rescue Ministries. The concert for KARM guests, volunteers, and the staff, is Thursday evening at 6 p.m. in the KARM Chapel.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is set up at Smokies Stadium through the holidays. Drive your car through a Christmas lights display that’s synced to the radio in your car. The light display opens every night at 6 p.m.

Hitch a ride on the ‘Christmas Lantern Express.’ Three Rivers Rambler is decked out for the holidays with holiday treats, story time, and decorations. The two-hour rides begin November 23 and continue every weekend through December 23. Tickets start at $7.50.

Holidays on Ice is open for the winter season. The outdoor skating rink is set up in the middle of Market Square through January 6, except in cases of inclement weather. You can purchase season passes or individual tickets that start at $8.

Keep your eyes peeled for Santa’s elves. The City of Knoxville is once again hosting its Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt. Kids can pick up a North Pole pass and collect stamps and prizes at participating businesses around town. The elves will be hiding out in Knoxville until January 6.

The Clarence Brown Theatre is performing the classic, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ November 28 through December 22. Tickets start at $18.

Zoo Knoxville is offering $5 off admission tickets during Kroger Discount Days from December 1 through February 28, 2019.

Celebrate Christmas inside a cave at Cherokee Caverns. The cave is decked out in twinkling lights and you just might spot the big man himself. Tickets are $10. Christmas in the Cave is open from December 7 to December 16.

Safety City will be open Thursday evening for kids and families to ride around the miniature Knoxville that’s decorated for Christmas.

The annual ‘Happy Knoxvollidays’ show is Thursday at 7 p.m. at The Central Collective in North Knoxville. Musicians will put their spin on holiday tunes to raise money for The Love Kitchen. Tickets cost $10, and 100% of the proceeds go to The Love Kitchen.

Market Square will be filled with the sounds of Christmas carols for the inaugural ‘Night of Joy’ Christmas concert on Thursday at 5 p.m. The event is hosted by The River church in Farragut and raises money for Knoxville Inner City Kids Organization and Susannah’s House, which is a faith=based nonprofit facility that helps mothers in recovery.

Santa Claus is checking which animals at Zoo Knoxville have been naughty and which ones have been nice. You can visit Santa’s village on Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Combine bicycles, Christmas lights, and a parade and you get the annual Tour De Lights event. The free five-mile bike ride through town is Friday at 7:30 p.m. with photo booths, refreshments, and bike safety checks going on before that.

The theater department at Pellissippi State Community College and The WordPlayers are performing ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ this weekend at the Clayton Performing Arts Center. Tickets start at $8, and showtimes are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The University of Tennessee is hosting its commencement ceremony on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena as well as Pellissippi State.

Celebrate the holidays on Main Street in Morristown on Friday for an evening of marshmallow roasting, horse-drawn wagon rides, live music, and dancing. The Christmas on Main event lasts from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.

It’s Christmas in the Old City. Friday night at 9 p.m., there will be a benefit concert at The Loft at Southbound on Central Street to raise money for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Entry is free with a toy donation.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Nature lovers at Ijams Nature Center have been participating in bird counts for years. On Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the nature center is hosting its first ever Christmas bird count, since traditionally it’s been done in the spring. It’s free to register, and guests are encouraged to bring their own binoculars.

The Clinton Christmas Parade is Saturday evening in downtown Clinton. The parade steps off on Main Street at 6 p.m.

Give your loved-ones a ‘handmade’ gift this year. Cades Cove Cellars is hosting a craft party on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $35. Guests will make three different ornaments.

The Rockin’ Santa Half Marathon and Sunshine Santa 5K is Saturday morning at Victor Ashe Park. The race course will be bumping with Christmas rock & roll music as runners raise money for the Sunshine Ambassadors, a group that uses dance to help people with disabilities.

SoKno Christmas is Saturday, December 15 at 6 p.m. at Mount Olive Baptist Church in South Knoxville. The community concert event originally started as a youth band concert and has grown into a South Knoxville-wide event.

Head over to the Hilton Hotel in downtown Knoxville for Soul Santa Breakfast to benefit Mobile Meals. Admission includes pictures with Santa, breakfast buffet, crafts, and a DJ playing all your favorite holiday hits. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

You can learn to make a book page ornament at the Fountain City Branch Library on Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. Adults will learn to make birds and snowflakes, while the kids can make snowmen and Christmas trees. All the supplies are provided.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

It's hard to find anything cuter than a golden doodle in a Christmas sweater, except for maybe a dozen doodles in sweaters. The Knoxville Doodle Romp is Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 .m. at the Petsafe Downtown Dog Park. The meet up for doodles and their owners is a monthly event that’s free.

Eat breakfast with Santa on Sunday at Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain in downtown Knoxville. The Christmas event costs $15 for kids and $20 for adults.

Watch a holiday classic on the big screen as the Tennessee Theatre shows ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on Sunday. The free showings are at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis.